Pedro Antonio de Alarcón

Alarcón, Pedro Antonio de (pāħˈrō äntōˈnyō dā älärkōnˈ) [key], 1833–91, Spanish writer, politician, and diplomat. He wrote several novels, including El sombrero de tres picos (1874, tr. The Three-cornered Hat, 1891), on which Manuel de Falla based his popular ballet, and El capitán Veneno (1881, tr. Captain Venom, 1914). In these works Alarcón shows keen powers of observation and subtle humor.